The sound of the ocean waves just a few meters away was the icing on the alarm clock cake for my consciousness to arise from its deep slumber. I sat up and hummed a little tune as I made a small breakfast of oatmeal with a banana and some sugar cubes. Given Sunny’s offer, I knew it’d be time to pack up for a long time away from the sub.
In all the excitement of examining the artifacts, the tools had been forgotten. I gathered up the multi-tool kit for my bicycle and skateboard, along with my clothes suitcase and GoPro kit. I added another mooring line to the sub to secure it further, then proceeded to climb the cliff for one last time… or so I hoped.
Dismantling the campsite, I took everything and packed it into my bike backpack – iPad, GoPro kit, microscope kit, toolkit, water bottle, two small towels, a sleeping bag, a smaller sling bag, the food, and the three artifacts. Then I slid the tent into the duffel bag and tied it to the backpack. The skateboard was tied to the nike’s top tube and handlebars, and suitcase to the rear forks. Finally I set off through the forest. It wasn’t the most practical approach, but I did not want to have to return a second time.
I did pay the price, though. Five times my balance was harshly thrown off and I fell, and there were more cases of the suitcase bouncing so hard it flipped than there were birds in the trees. By the time I reached the top of the first hill the suitcase looked like it’d been used as a training bag for boxers plus as a survival unit for soldiers in a Floridian marsh. But it wasn’t punctured or torn, so I kept on going.
Once again, sounds and reactions filled the atmosphere upon my entry in Maretime Bay. However, this time they were of surprise and awe, rather than fear and panic. No mass screaming and running. I waved and said hello to every pony, thereby easing their concerns and worries. It was surprising how their behavior had changed – not substantially, but that the change in perspectives both ways was noticeable.
Riding through town was much easier. With the smoother stone and concrete ground, I didn’t have to pedal as hard. Pulling the suitcase behind me suddenly felt less cumbersome, but still awkward with all the clattering noise it made. Everyone kindly stepped aside to make room as I made my way through the streets.
Thirty-five minutes after packing up, I finally reached Sunny’s home – the local lighthouse, perched on a taller cliff point, almost a kilometer from the main town. With its red-and-white striped tower, it looked to be a dead ringer for the one on Halifax’s Sambro Island – but with the tower being round and centrally positioned in the actual house, along with the square-sloped roof, the similarities all but ended there.
“Wow,” I whispered, gazing back in awe at the town that I’d just passed through. “What a view!”
The smoothly sloping and banking road leading back to the town also looked cool. Maybe later we can try racing down it to the town, I thought, giving a few knocks on the door.
The door opened slowly, and a familiar face appeared, looking a little stunned. “How’d you know where I live?”
“It’s easier to ask than assume,” I smirked.
Sunny smiled welcomingly. “Come on in.”
I wheeled the mountain bike and suitcase in and propped them against the wall next to the coatrack, before taking of my backpack and duffel. Hurriedly, I wiped them down with a paper towel and some water from my bottle. The house was spotless, and I didn’t want to sabotage that in any way. It was an open-spaced floor, with central pillars supporting the tower above. Off to the right was a nice kitchen, not unlike the one at my boathouse in Florida.
“You look tired,” Sunny noted, gesturing to the sofa in the living room. “Have a seat.”
“Thanks very much,” I replied, catching my breath and dropping the paper towel into a nearby trash bin. “Lovely lighthouse you got here. Everything’s well-placed and clean.”
“Oh, thank you!” Sunny gushed, holding back an awkward blushed smile. “My dad and I lived here for many years. For the most part I live alone, but I have some friends who drop by. Hitch, the town sheriff, a unicorn named Izzy, and a few others.”
I quickly sat up like my butt had been tased. “A unicorn?”
“Um, well, given this is a world of talking ponies that does sound 100% plausible,” Sunny nodded with a chuckle.
Not wanting to drag on with compliments, I made a beeline for the main points. “I’ve had some time to think over my situation, and the first thing I need to do is boost my trust with the townsponies. I initially planned to do this by selling three rare artifacts that they may treasure and hold value in, but now I will just give one to you, along with my remaining fruit.”
“Why?”
“Because the other two artifacts are better suited for other places. And the significance of this one aligns well with you. Let me explain.”
Sunny walked over to the couch and sat down. “Please do.”
I opened up my backpack, took out the food, and set it all down on a table in front of the couch. Then I gently slid the cloth bag of artifacts out of its inner sleeve and set it down on my lap. Untying the bag, I took out the sword and tore off the paper.
Sunny’s jaw dropped, a gasp of shock and awe. I held the sword out and let her observe the polished gold guards and the leather wrapped handle. She raised a hoof to the blade’s tip, curiosity crossing her face.
“Seems like the blade should be a lot longer. What happened to the rest of it?”
“It was broken in a fierce battle many, many centuries ago,” I replied. “The remaining pieces were never found.”
Sunny hopped onto the sofa and pointed to the base of the blade. “Hold a hoof. There’s a carved insignia here.”
I held it up to the sunlight at an angle, illuminating the blade brightly. Sunny peered closely at it. “IYI. Is that an abbreviation of some sort? And there also appears to be a signature on the other side.”
I smiled and shook my head. “No, it’s the emblem of the Kayi tribe, who owned and wielded these swords in battle. The emblem spells ‘Kayi’ in a particular language. In turn, ‘Kayi’ – well, it’s meaning differs, depending on whom you ask. To the best of my own knowledge, the most accurate and simplest meaning is ‘able and mighty’. The signature is from the leaders of the tribe, passed through generations.”
In a sudden act, Sunny pressed her hooves on my thigh and looked up in earnest. “Tell me more!”
I leaned back awkwardly and sighed. “It’s a long story throughout human history that I’ll have to save for later. Perhaps as a dinner discussion leading into a bedtime story, as I’m sure your dad did for you. I know my dad did the same for me. It was a fun way to obtain crucial knowledge that is still beneficial and relevant to this day. I can, however, give you a few key points.”
Sunny shrank back on the couch but remained attentive. “Even a portion of the story would be great to hear.”
“The rulers of the Kayi tribe were renowned not for their fighting abilities or having cool engraving on their swords. Rather, they were renowned for their character, which they kept steadfast in the intelligent pursuit of peace and justice whilst never compromising on the core fundamental principles of their tribe. And it was through this that a large empire was formed, lasting six centuries thereafter. Many of those qualities I saw in you as I spoke to the townsponies of Maretime Bay. Hence, it is only fitting that you be the bearer of this sword.”
Sunny blushed. “I…I’m just a regular earth pony who sells smoothies. I’m not some great leader made to rule an empire.”
I grinned. “Exactly. That is one of the principles – humility. A humble leader is a great leader. You must balance yourself in a way that everyone respects your position and sees you as one of them, but not elevated on a pedestal so that they take advantage of you, or worse, you develop ego leading to the loss of principles by which you lead. Furthermore, whoever shows fear and reluctancy when called to lead is a good candidate, because that fear indicates they understand the weight of the responsibility and power they will carry. Leadership is a responsibility, not a position.”
Sunny nodded slightly, her eyes fixated, like she was in a sort of trance. I could tell she was having a moment of reflection and understanding, so I too paused for a minute or two. She then turned and spoke.
“I gladly accept your offer, Aiden. Just… I’m not sure where to place it safely.”
“Your bedroom,” I immediately suggested. “That way it’ll be among the first things you’ll see every day and thereby remind you of your direction and goals in life.”
“Excellent idea!” Sunny crowed. “For now, I’ll keep it in storage. I think a shadowbox frame would work well, but I need to buy one that’d properly fit. Let’s go to my room.”
“Uh… ooo-kay,” I replied awkwardly. She pressed a button, and a wooden slate lowered from the ceiling, supported with four thick ropes at each corner. A little old-school, but impressive, nonetheless.
We gradually rose at a slow pace, given my greater weight. Amazingly, the ropes held fast, and soon we stepped off onto a circular upstairs hall and entered her room. It was grand, with a low-profil, four-post bed and a shelf with six little pony figurines on it. She slid back a panel in her footboard and pulled out an empty trunk from under the bed. I handed her the sword. Carefully holding the handle in her teeth, she gently lowered it into the trunk and flipped the lid shut.
“Nicely secure. No one really comes in here besides Hitch, and there are still some things in here I haven’t shared with him.”
I nodded, still standing by the doorway. It felt rather rude to enter the private quarters of someone I’d just met the day before. But Sunny wasn’t ashamed, and eagerly tugged at my leg to enter.
“Alright,” I whispered to myself, stepping in and briefly glancing at the large cloth drape of a sun above the bed and numerous paintings and drawings hung up on the walls.
As we stood by the stained-glass window and looked out to the town, I resumed my explanation of my plans to find information on wormholes and interdimensional travel, as well as mapping out the original landscape of Equestria. Right away, Sunny was conflicted.
“How can you yearn to leave so soon after arriving? You’re one of a kind, unlike any other here! You have so much to offer and learn and benefit and –”
“I know,” I interrupted abruptly. “But I have family that is undoubtedly worried and perhaps even panicked over my disappearance. It is my duty to alleviate those worries as soon as I possibly can. However, this is a new land, and with new land comes an opportunity to explore, discover, decipher, and deduct its history. It’s what I do and what my family knows I’m passionate for.”
I turned and looked straight into her eyes encouragingly. “So, I ask you, my dear friend, will you join me on this quest?”
“Yes!”